Some of the tons of research and articles on acupuncture to treat pain:

ARTHRITIS
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/103359.htm
Traditional Chinese acupuncture is “effective” at reducing knee osteoarthritis pain and improving function in people with knee osteoarthritis, say the researchers, who presented their findings in San Antonio at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual scientific meeting.

Arthritis Responds to Weather, Acupuncture United Press International – Oct. 19Washington Post – Oct. 19
Researchers told attendees at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting that they have compiled valid data indicating changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure can cause increases in joint pain. Marc Hochberg, MD, MPH, a professor in the School of Medicine, says the studies ” . . . allow us to conclude that traditional Chinese acupuncture is an effective intervention for the relief of pain and improvement of function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.”

http://www.acupuncture.com/research/kneeosteo.htm
Acupuncture can ease the discomfort while waiting for an operation and perhaps even serve as an alternative to surgery. Seven patients have responded so well that at present they do not want an operation. (USD 9000 saved per operation).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?md=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1288925&dopt=Abstract
Acupuncture to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

ZHEREBKIN, Eastern Europe, conducted a randomised controlled clinical trial to study the efficacy of the multi-modality treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involving acupuncture (A) treatment.Methods: Measures assessed included the number of the inflamed joints, the joint index, duration of morning rigidity and a visual scale of pain.Results: Combining treatment of RA with Acupuncture was found to more effectively lower the values for the joint index and the visual scale of pain.Conclusions: The results of this trial indicated that acupuncture may improve the results of drug treatment.Zherebkin VV.

The use of acupuncture reflexotherapy in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Lik Sprava 6: 175-7. Nov-Dec 1997. Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study With Long-Term Follow-Up. Articles Clinical Journal of Pain. 17(4):296-305, December 2001.Carlsson, Christer P. O. M.D., Ph.D.; Sjolund, Bengt H. M.D., Ph.D. Abstract: Objective: The authors sought to determine whether a series of needle acupuncture treatments produced long-term relief of chronic low back pain. Design: A blinded placebo-controlled study with an independent observer. The patients were randomized to receive manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture, or active placebo (mock transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). Subjects were examined and monitored by an investigator who was blinded to the treatment given. Setting: A tertiary-level pain clinic at a Swedish university hospital. Patients: Fifty consecutive patients (33 women, 17 men; mean age, 49.8 years) with chronic low back pain (mean pain duration, 9.5 years) and without rhizopathy or history of acupuncture treatment were included in the study. Interventions: Treatments were given once per week for 8 weeks. Two further treatments were given during the follow-up assessment period of 6 months or longer. Outcome Measures: The independent observer made a global assessment of the patients 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. The patients kept pain diaries to score pain intensity twice daily, analgesic intake, and quality of sleep daily, and activity level weekly. Results: At the 1-month independent assessment, 16 of 34 patients in the acupuncture groups and 2 of 16 patients in the placebo group showed improvement (p <0.05).The authors found a long-term pain-relieving effect of needle acupuncture compared with true placebo in some patients with chronic nociceptive low back pain. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

BACK PAIN
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5345774.stm
Back-pain acupuncture ‘effective’

CAR ACCIDENT

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6138957&dopt=Abstract
Acupuncture proved an effective form of therapy for treatment of accident patients with whiplash injuries, representing a valuable supplement to the field of rehabilitation.

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/10/1118
Both physiotherapy and acupuncture treatment groups improved in reduced pain, improved range of motion, and better overall health following treatment for chronic neck pain. Acupuncture was slightly more effective in patients who had higher baseline pain scores.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15732514&dopt=Citation
The high percentage of positive results in whiplash injury patients leads us to advocate acupuncture for balance disorders due to cervical pathology.

HEADACHES & MIGRAINES
http://www.healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=7667
Acupuncture as Effective as Drug Therapy for Migraines & Headaches

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/07/050731232901.htm
Acupuncture Cuts Tension Headache Rates By Almost Half

NEUROPATHIC PAIN
ABUAISHA and colleagues, Department of Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, University of Manchester, UK studied the use of acupuncture to determine its efficacy for pain relief for peripheral diabetic neuropathy.Methods: 46 diabetic patients suffering chronic painful peripheral neuropathy participated in the study. 29 (63%) patients were already receiving standard medical treatment. Patients initially received up to 6 courses of classical acupuncture analgesia over a period of 10 weeks, using traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture points.Results: 46 patients completed the study. 34 (77%) showed significant improvement in primary and/or secondary symptoms (P <0.01). SOFT TISSUE INJURY
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2761282&dopt=Abstract
Acupuncture treatment on soft tissue disease based on TCM syndrome differentiation theory is thus shown to be effective.